Reading time and making more

Reading, both for research and just for entertainment, can easily be pushed aside by Social Media and other distractions. It could even be argued that pursuing our hobby (painting, building, playing and yes, blogging and vlogging) all eats into the time available for us to just sit down and read properly. Maybe it's time to make a change?

Making even a little bit of time in your day can make all the difference. Over the last month, I have read more than probably in the last six months, and that was just forcing myself to take a short lunch break or reading for fifteen minutes before bed.

Quick Strike AAR's - What shall I do next?

Earlier this year Little Wars TV challenged wargaming vloggers to make video AAR's that were shorter and more concise than the usual format seen on YouTube. The brief was deceptively simple but also devilishly difficult; to have a full battle report with a running time of 10 minutes or less but with some historical context, a scenario summary, and a recap of the game at the end. Given that normal video battle reports often run for over an hour, the concept of editing that down to just 10 minutes gives you some idea of the challenge.

Guest Post - Encounter on the Orange River, 1900

Today I have a Guest Post from fellow Reject, John. He moved home not so long ago but made sure to reserve some wargaming space in his loft. This is a game he played earlier in the year and decided to share via the medium of my blog. The words and pictures are all his, so I can't take any credit for what looked like a thoroughly enjoyable game. 

The Painting Challenge Returns

It's that time of year again when the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge puts out the call for participants. The Challenge is run by a gentleman called Curt and attracts a multinational collection of gamers who set their own personal points targets, challenging themselves to complete a body of work over the winter months. I'll be participating again this year and I have a new project as my main target for this years event. 

Salute Loot and a New Project Alert!

So, I went to Salute on Saturday (see my show report here) and this time I went with a very focused shopping list. Some of what I wanted I didn't get because the trader concerned pulled out of the show, but I still managed to come home with a significant haul of lead and other goodies. 

A serious shopping haul

Lots of bases for my new project...and I still need to buy more! 

A few random figures for the Painting Challenge

A new Desert Battlemat from Geek Villan

Tufts and paints for my new project

And the 'first batch of minis for my new project - The French Foreign Legion in 15mm. These are Blue Moon miniatures which I bought from Old Glory UK. Also, features is an MDF fort from BLOTZ, a bargain at just £30. 

The Foreign Legion project will be my main task during the Painting Challenge this year. Hopefully, I will be playing with these by spring next year.

SALUTE 2021: After Action Photo Report

I went to Salute 2021 yesterday at the Excel Centre in London - just a short drive from where I live. The show was a bit quieter than usual, with noticeable gaps in trade stands and games tables, but at least the show went ahead. I certainly had a good time and spent a lot of money with those traders that were able to attend. Visitor numbers were down on previous years (to be expected) but I fully expect this to be a temporary phenomenon and the show will bounce back. 

My main disappointment with the event was my usual gripe about signage on demo games. Some games didn't make the video simply because I couldn't identify either the group running the game or the game itself. Many of the games listed in the show guide were different - presumably because the list was made a while back and hadn't been updated. Whatever the reason it made correctly labelling some photo's impossible...so those pictures didn't make the cut!

Aside from this, it was a great day and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. 

20000 Bullets: The Battle of Rorke's Drift

January 1879 and in Natal a little over 150 men defend a tiny collection of buildings against what seems to be overwhelming odds. I played this game earlier this year and the resulting battle report was split into three parts with a total running time of over 90 minutes. But I decided I would give my Rorke's Drift game the 'Quick Strike' treatment and get it down to just ten minutes.

Just think of this video as a 'Directors Cut'!

If you want to watch the longer version of this game check out Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 on my channel.